Conductive yarns and other conductive strands of material may be used in forming woven fabric and other items. In some applications, it may be desirable for conductive strands to carry electrical current. For example, in a fabric item that has electrical circuitry, it may be desirable to couple conductive strands to the circuitry and to use the conductive strands to carry signals. Conductive strands may be formed from intertwined strands of bare wire, but this type of conductive strand may not have an acceptable appearance for many items.